1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a MOSFET with temperature protection wherein a switching element is connected between a gate terminal and a source terminal of the MOSFET.
2. Description of the Related Art
Such a MOSFET with temperature protection is known, for instance, from German patent disclosure DE 43 05 038. The switching element of that disclosure connected between the gate and source electrodes switches the MOSFET off when a critical temperature is reached. A temperature-dependent signal is produced for this purpose which drives the switching element and which, when a temperature is reached below the critical temperature, short-circuits the gate and the source of the MOSFET via the load path of the switching element. This reduces the gate-to-source voltage of the MOSFET and thus the current flowing therethrough. The increase in temperature is accordingly slowed.